What is Occupational Therapy?
The role of occupational
therapists is to help those people with disabilities - physical, mental,
or emotional to regain their mobility so as to carry out their day to
day activities with ease. They work on enhancing their productivity,
both at home and work by increasing the strength of their muscles and
flexibility in physical movements. However occupational therapy is
different from physical therapy in its aims. While physical therapy is
generally focused on enhancing muscle movements, occupational therapy
aims at dealing with the physical, physiological and to an extent their
psychological aspects of the patient. In that sense it is more holistic
in its approach and treatment.
Occupational therapists and
assistants instruct and back patients as they work on learning
fundamental skills required in daily life. This requires the therapists
to make use a large variety of, equipment and tools which will assist
the patients in becoming increasingly independent. It is the
occupational therapist who is in charge of carving out a plan of
treatment for every patient. The job of an occupational therapist can be
extremely taxing. However the job satisfaction is even high as it is
rewarding to see the improvement in the patient's abilities and
independence.
Online Associate's Degree
It is necessary that the occupational therapists and their
assistants be licensed. Those who intend to be occupational therapist
assistants require an associate's degree from an accredited school
offering an occupational therapy program. An amalgamation of theoretical
studies and practice, occupational degree is most definitely a valuable
degree if one intends to build a career in the field of health care. It
is one of the most sought after occupations as occupational therapists
are hired by not only hospitals and health care centres but also other
institutions like special schools, foster care homes, and even those in
sports to an extent. Given the wide job opportunities, you may take a
first step towards their career by start with an online associate's
degree.
Coursework
Apart from general education, in subjects like English and
mathematics, the core of the curriculum is constituted by courses
specific to occupational therapy like research methodology, occupational
therapy management, and theoretical basis of this field.
Fieldwork
and internships form an integral part of the learning process and to
graduate from the degree program. Thus students are expected to complete
an internship or a certain amount of fieldwork. To qualify for the
associate program, you must hold a high school diploma.
An
associate degree can be completed in a period of two years. Graduates
also must be prepared to appear for the national exam which is required
for licensure.
The Attributes of Online Courses
Online education is one of the most convenient formats to graduate
in occupational therapy. It offers flexibility in schedules,
facilitating interaction with co-students and instructors. Students not
only save up on the travelling expense and time, but also save up on the
course fees. Now that it is possible to complete an occupational
therapy degree online, it makes it easier and convenient for students to
pursue their careers within the area of healthcare. A number of
institutions offer an occupational therapy degree program online.
Universities like Keiser University, Brown Mackie College, Wallace State
Community College, Herzing University, and New England Institute of
Technology offer an online associate's degree in occupational therapy.
No comments:
Post a Comment